Archives > Sports > Schools
Print
E-mail
Comment
Rate
RSS
Share
Soccer: Sting win second national title
BY ANDREW MAY, amay@acnpapers.com
Too obstinate to let go and too prideful to settle, the portrait of a champion appeared in many guises Saturday: Miranda Larkin and Marleigh Essler stonewalling shooters at every turn. Morgan Williams successfully shadowing one of the nation’s scariest scorers. Maddy Crabtree ripping the cords as she had done all tournament. And in the midst of it all, Tatu Pecorari, standing tall after completing a feat of rare proportions on his farewell tour.
Seven days after winning the Elite Clubs National League (ECNL) Under-15 national championship in Seattle, Sting 95 stood on a podium in Overland Park, Kan. basking in splendiferous glory, firm in the knowledge they are in a class all to their lonesome after also claiming the U15 crown at the US Youth Soccer National Championships.
Two tournaments. Two national titles. One overjoyed head coach.
It doesn’t get any better than this.”
It doesn’t get much tougher, either. Sting 95 began its championship journey in the most gut-roiling of fashions. Leading Arsenal FC by two goals in the waning minutes of the ECNL championship game, Pecorari yanked his starters in favor of subs. The curtain call came too early, though.
The California-based opponent scored twice in the final 10 minutes, a shockwave that improbably led to overtime. Neither side was able to punch one home in the extra sessions, forcing the title tilt to be decided by penalty kicks.
Sting 95, the only ECNL team to notch a flawless 9-0-0 record during the regular season, was perfect again when the chips were in the middle of the table. All five kicks found the back of the net, and Larkin made the only clutch save she needed to for a 5-4 triumph.
“We’ve never won a tournament on PKs. We’ve always lost,” said Pecorari, a decorated former forward for the Dallas Sidekicks. “If we lose that game, it could have really put us in a bad spot.”
The celebration of the inaugural ECNL championship was ephemeral. The team returned home from Washington and quickly packed its bags with Kansas as the new destination. Only if it were that easy.
The flight out of Dallas was delayed, the first of several setbacks that Pecorari feared would be his team’s undoing. Sting was supposed to train July 20 for its first match of the USYSA National Championships the following day, but the session was cancelled because of rain. Pecorari didn’t get to work with his players until the morning of the opening game.
“My concern was the quick turnaround. It was tough,” he said. “I was worried about that first game. I was concerned we would come out flat and that would be it.”
The exact opposite happened. Behind a hat trick from Crabtree and two more goals from Rowlett sophomore Meagan McCullough, Sting stung Beadling 94/95 by the uncommonly lopsided score of 7-0.
The very next day it happened again, only this time the victim was Real Colorado National. Seven more goals by seven different players, including one each from Boyd junior Caity Heap, Marcus sophomore Katelyn Mountjoy and Frisco sophomore Celine Fletcher, en route to another dominating 7-0 victory.
“That to me was impressive. That’s not normally the way you play at nationals,” Pecorari said. “Scoring seven goals in the whole tournament is a big deal.”
In the first two games alone, Sting fired off 30 shots on goal and yielded just seven. The offensive onslaught slowed down in the final pool play game Friday against Scorpions Elite in a scoreless draw that allowed Sting to push through to Saturday’s championship match.
Pecorari still couldn’t breathe easy just yet.
“I kept thinking that somewhere we were going to hit a wall,” he said. “We never did.”
Crabtree was the catalyst for the second national title in a week’s time, knocking home a rebound from a Mountjoy laser in the 23rd minute of the championship game against Scorpions Elite to supply the only goal. Behind a stingy, sparing defense, Sting hung on for a historic 1-0 win to earn the Kristine Lilly Cup in Pecorari’s final tournament with the team.
“It wasn’t easy,” he said. “The girls worked so hard for this.”
After taking the first-half lead, Sting leaned on the back line of Morgan Williams,
Kendall McKnight, Meagan McCullough and Natalie Calhoun, a crafty quartet that shielded both Larkin and Boyd sophomore Marleigh Essler, who split halves in goal. Morgan Williams, the fastest defender in Sting’s arsenal, blanketed Scorpion forward McKenzie Meehan all game, a strategy Pecorari knew would be key to victory.
Larkin was subsequently presented the Golden Glove award after the tournament, while Crabtree took home the Golden Ball.
“They couldn’t believe they were able to do it,” Pecorari said of completing the whirlwind cross-country journey without a loss. “They were very joyful, but also thankful it was over. It was not easy.”
Sting 96 nixed
Sting 96 knew it had the firepower at its disposal to dispatch MVLA Lightning in the U14 girls championship game at the US Youth Soccer National Championships. After all, Sting was riding a wave of confidence after taking down the California-based opponent, 1-0, two days before during pool play on a second-half goal by Shepton’s Nicole Schuveiller.
In Saturday’s rematch, though, neither team was able to penetrate the other’s brick wall defense. The Lightning notched more quality chances but couldn’t manage to slip a shot past Sting goalkeeper Taylor Braun.
With penalty kicks necessary to determine the new owner of the Elmer Ehlers Cup, Sting toed the line first with a national title hanging in the balance. But MVLA keeper Jacquelyn Caginia was up to the challenge, turning away the first attempt.
MVLA jumped at the opportunity at hand, burying all five of its kicks, including the game-winner by Caginia, for a 5-3 result that prevented Sting from collecting a national title in its first year of eligibility.
Sting, which is comprised of players from Frisco (Sydney Kingston), Southlake (Meghan Murphy), Flower Mound (Emma Heckendorn), Rowlett (Gabriella DeLeon), Coppell (Holly Swaldi) and Hebron (McKenna Whitaker), finished the tournament with a 2-2 record after posting 1-0 shutouts in its first two pool play games July 21 and 22.
The following are comments from the readers.
In no way do they represent the view of Starlocalnews.com
In no way do they represent the view of Starlocalnews.com
You must register with a valid email to post comments.
Only your Member ID will be posted with the comments.
Only your Member ID will be posted with the comments.
Registered users sign in here:
Become a Registered User
- Return to: Carroll «
- Home «
- Top of Page ^
